PUMA®
UNVEILS THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE PUMA CLYDE: UNDEFEATED COLLECTION
WITH PUMA

Legendary
brand
lends their design perspective

to
PUMA’s most iconic shoe

BOSTON,
MA – (April
12, 2011)
– Sportslifestyle brand PUMA®
has partnered with legendary culture brand, Undefeated,
to launch the Undefeated
(UNDFTD) Collection with PUMA,
a special collection centered around one of PUMA’s most iconic and
celebrated styles: The PUMA Clyde. This long term project will make
Undefeated a true design partner with PUMA, designing a collection of
PUMA Clydes that will be released in the beginning of April and
continue throughout 2011 and beyond.

The
partnership between PUMA and Undefeated is about pushing boundaries
and refreshing a classic style and icon, The PUMA Clyde. Undefeated
and PUMA explored trends in the marketplace and collaborated to
interpret these fashion and lifestyle nuances into footwear styles
that are inclusive of both brands. The first release from the
collection will be on April 10th
followed by another release on June 10th,
and many more throughout 2011 and beyond. Consumers can expect to
see clean lines and a unique exploration of materials and textures.

“Undefeated
pushes the envelope and is a leader in starting and spotting new
trends throughout the sneaker and lifestyle community,” said Jay
Piccola, President of PUMA North America. “This partnership allows
us to apply these influences to the most significant shoe in PUMA’s
archive, the PUMA Clyde, and make it new, fresh and appealing to a
whole new set of consumers that we know will adore each and every
style.”

The
PUMA Clyde
was chosen for this project not only for its significance to the PUMA
brand, but also to sneaker history and pop culture. Customized for
basketball great and current announcer for The New York Knicks Walt
“Clyde” Frazier in 1973, the Clyde was the first signature
basketball shoe. Built on performance and style, it immediately
became a mainstay on the court and on the street. As a statement
shoe, it was part of the uniform for cultural artists – DJs,
b-boys, musicians and graffiti artists. With its clean and classic
styling, the PUMA Clyde continues to be on-trend today.

To
create a meaningful and visual in-store experience that combines
fashion and street, PUMA enlisted Harry Allen. A multi-disciplinary
interior designer, Allen achieved prominence in the 90’s with his
interior design of Moss, a design gallery in New York. Allen’s
installations for the Undefeated
Collection with PUMA will feature the infamous ‘Welcome Home’
image of Clyde set among clean, classic lines paired with a bit of
understated cool; just like Clyde. Additionally, a series of four
limited edition bags, featuring different images of Clyde himself,
have been designed
and created by artist/designer, Brent Rollins. The bags will be
given out with every purchase of the Undefeated PUMA collection at
participating retailers globally.

“We
worked closely with PUMA’s design team, and were very collaborative
in every sense of the word,” said Eddie Cruz, Co-Founder of
Undefeated.
“We shared ideas, brainstormed and pushed each other on the design
language because we really wanted to make something great together.
The end result of the UNDFTD Collection with PUMA is just that –
something great, forward thinking and cool – and we are excited to
build on the momentum of this collection for seasons to come.”

For
nearly 10 years Undefeated has been the unofficial voice for the next
generation.
With storefronts in Hollywood, Silverlake and Santa Monica,
California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Shizuoka and Tokyo, Japan they are
globally recognized as a leader in streetwear and fashion trends.
PUMA and Undefeated first collaborated on a limited edition pack of
PUMA Mids that were released in January 2009. The shoes were well
received throughout the sneaker community and soon became a sought
after style by collectors and style-conscious men and women. This
first project helped to lay the groundwork for the new Clyde
Collection design partnership.

PUMA
is one of the world’s leading Sportlifestyle companies that designs
and develops footwear, apparel and accessories. It is committed to
working in ways that contribute to the world by supporting
Creativity, SAFE Sustainability and Peace, and by staying true to the
principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative in decisions
made and actions taken. PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. Its
Sport Performance and Lifestyle labels include categories such as
Football, Running, Motorsports, Golf and Sailing. Sport Fashion
features collaborations with renowned designer labels such as
Alexander McQueen, Mihara Yasuhiro and Sergio Rossi. The PUMA Group
owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and Tretorn. The company, which was
founded in 1948, distributes its products in more than 120 countries,
employs more than 9,000 people worldwide and has headquarters in
Herzogenaurach/Germany, Boston, London and Hong Kong. For
more information, please visit http://www.puma.com

UNDEFEATED

UNDEFEATED
is more than a store, it’s more than a brand it is a philosophy.
Interconnected to victory and virtue, we stand in opposition to every
potential failure. Adopting the philosophy is to be UNDEFEATED. In
2002 Undefeated sparked the ‘Sneaker Revolution’ with
unprecedented collaborations and market influence. A tradition
rooted in the fundamental philosophy of sport and inspired by style.
Today, Undefeated designs and develops apparel, accessories and
collaborative footwear. Co-founders Eddie Cruz and James Bond have
established the brands street credibility and
business ingenuity. They stay at the forefront of creativity and
individuality and continue to be the unofficial voice of the next
generation. For more information, please visit http://www.undftd.com.